September 4, 2025
JAKARTA – Recent violent protests in Jakarta have cost the city’s retailers an estimated Rp 500 billion (US$30 million) in lost sales from Aug. 28-Sept. 1, according to Indonesian Retail and Tenants Association (Hippindo) chairman Budihardjo Iduansjah.
“Our rough calculation for Jakarta alone shows that over the past five days, the loss in sales could be around Rp 500 billion. This drop happened because some malls closed entirely, while others closed earlier than usual,” he told The Jakarta Post on Monday, adding that luxury and fashion retailers as well as department stores saw particularly sharp declines in footfall.
Meanwhile, suburban supermarkets and hypermarkets saw a 10–15 percent spike in weekend sales compared to the previous weekend.
“Perhaps due to panic-buying, supermarkets, hypermarkets and minimarkets saw an increase in sales. Not just in the city center, but in suburban residential malls, such as those in Serpong, Cibubur and Bekasi,” he said.
He added that Hippindo was coordinating with the Jakarta government, security forces and retail stakeholders while urging quick government action to improve public order and ensure business continuity and restore confidence for shoppers, businesses and investors.
“When people are afraid to go out, investors hold back and negative news spreads, many investors ask how things are in Indonesia, that’s bad news. Tourists cancel [trips], and so many exhibitions have been called off. These events usually bring in traffic from abroad, with exhibitors and visitors and all of that keeping money circulating,” said Budihardjo.
Asked about footage spread online showing empty luxury boutiques, Budihardjo confirmed that some retailers had secured high-value items as a standard precautionary measure but added that operations had returned to normal on Monday.
Beyond shopping malls, the demonstrations also disrupted traditional markets and small businesses. Clashes near the Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Kwitang prompted vendors at Jatinegara Market to close stalls earlier than usual out of safety concerns.
Schools and universities across the country, particularly in Greater Jakarta, have extended study-from-home policies after last week’s early dismissals, leaving campus canteens and school cafeterias empty and severely impacting micro and small enterprises that depend on student traffic.
“Yes, it’s definitely a big impact. Like now, when I should be selling, I have to take a week off because of the protests. We will be following the University’s policy. Once the students return as usual, I’ll open,” Ani, a seller at Universitas Indonesia’s cafeteria, told the Post on Tuesday.
Bars and restaurants also canceled scheduled events, announcing postponements on social media and refunding tickets amid security concerns.
“In light of the current situation in Jakarta. Today’s Off the Cuff at Krapela will be postponed. The safety and well-being of everyone come first. Our hearts go out to those affected. This is a time to lean into compassion and community,” Krapela, a bar in South Jakarta, posted on its social media account on Saturday. It postponed at least five events.
Adding to the challenges, TikTok suspended its live-streaming feature nationally on Saturday evening, cutting off a crucial sales channel for many micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who lost out on peak-hour revenue.
“In response to the escalating violence during protests in Indonesia, we have taken additional security measures to keep TikTok a safe and civil space. As part of these steps, we have voluntarily suspended the TikTok LIVE feature in Indonesia for the next few days. We are also continuing to remove content that violates our Community Guidelines and monitoring the situation closely,” said a TikTok spokesperson on Saturday, as quoted by CNBC Indonesia.
TikTok’s Live service returned in the late afternoon on Tuesday.
The Indonesian MSME Industry Association (Akumandiri) reported that many MSMEs had lost up to 90 percent of their daily income by limiting operations, compounded by supply chain disruptions and halted courier services that prevented e-commerce orders from being fulfilled.
“Many of our members have been unable to sell, both offline and online. Even live shopping on digital platforms has been temporarily suspended, which has had a tremendous impact on MSMEs that rely on those channels for income,” Akumandiri chairwoman Hermawati Setyorinny was quoted as saying by Beritasatu on Monday.
Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo estimated losses from damage to public infrastructure nationwide at nearly Rp 900 billion ($59 million), with East Java recording the highest figure. The estimate includes damage to toll gates, bus shelters and torched local council buildings.
“We are using emergency funds and the budget available to us,” said Dody, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday. “This is truly an emergency response situation for us. The President’s directive is clear: this is an emergency situation for the Public Works Ministry.”
Deni Friawan, a senior researcher at Jakarta’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said the unrest highlighted deep economic frustration over perceived injustice, poor governance and fiscal mismanagement, which had eroded trust in government.
“Citizens are asked to pay taxes and contributions while accepting government austerity measures. Yet, on the other hand, the government appears wasteful, expanding the number of ministries and agencies, leaving positions in state-owned enterprises unfilled and increasing salaries and allowances for officials and members of parliament,” he said.
These economic tensions, combined with limited access to quality jobs and essential services, helped spark the nationwide protests, which were intensified after the killing of a motorcycle taxi driver during a protest.
“The government must rebuild fiscal trust through empathy and exemplary leadership. Stop budget waste, end elite privileges and cease denying the worsening economic conditions. Enhance accountability and transparency in the budget and public services,” said Deni.